Manufacture of hydrochloric acid.



No. 807,640. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905. I. L. ROBERTS.

MANUFACTURE OF HYDROGHLORIG ACID.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25,1895.

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ISAIAH L. ROBERTS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERTS CHEMICAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed June 26,1895. Serial No. 553,948-

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ISAIAH L. ROBERTS, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Hydrochloric Acid, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of the same.

It is known that hydrochloric acid may be produced synthetically by exploding in any well-known way a confined mixture of hydrogen and chlorin gases; but such an operation has not been and cannot for obvious reasons be successfully applied to the practical or commercial manufacture of the acid.

The present invention, however, affords an economical and effective method for the synthetic production of hydrochloric acid or its formation directly from its constituent elements and differs, essentially, from the abovedescribed process in bein continuous and capable of producing hydrochloric acid in any desired quantities at an expense practically no greater than the cost of producing its constituent elements.

According to the present invention the two gases (chlorin and hydrogen) are separately produced in any suitable manner, though by preference electrolytically, as hereinafter more fully described, and brought together in a confining space or chamber. If the mixture of the two gases be then ignited, a continuous flame will be established at their point of mechanical union, giving hydrochloric-acid gas as the product of combustion. This gas is conducted from the mixing or combustion chamber and recovered, preferably, by being carried to one or more receptacles containing water, by which it is absorbed. It being essential only for the chemical union of the two gases that their combustion should be maintained at the point of their mechanical union in a'confined space or chamber from which the products of cornbustion may be readily conducted and recovcred, it is apparent that many forms of apparatus may be'utilized for this purpose.

For a better understanding of the invention, however, a convenient and practical apparatus for carrying on the process is 'illus trated in the accompanying drawing, in which- A represents an electrolytic tank containcember 18, 1888.

ing electrodes a a, connected with a suitable source of current. Above these electrodes are arranged caps or chambers B B, respectively, for collecting the gases given off by electrodecomposition, and from said chambers extend pipes or conduits O O to a chamber D, in which the two streams of gas impinge directly upon each other and are burned at the point of impingement.

If a solution of sodium chlorid be decomposed in the tank by electrolytic action,- hydrogen is given off at the cathode and chlorin at the anode, and this plan of producing the gases is thought to be the best and most practicable. In order to prevent admixture of the two gases in the electrolytic tank or vessel A, the latter should be divided into anode and cathode compartments, respectively, by an electrolytic diaphragm c of any suitable kindas, for example, one of the type described in my prior patent, No. 894,638, De- After the electrolytic action has beenestablished and a mixture of the two gases obtained in the chamber D the mixture is ignited, preferably, at some point beyond the chamber D; The flame immediately runs back to the point of union of the two gases, where combustion thereafter goes on quietly, yielding as its product hydrochloricacid gas. This gas is conducted off through a suitable conduit F to a series of receivers E, containing water, by which the gas is absorbed. It is preferable to deliver the water continuously in a regulated quantity to the receivers, as through pipes H.

The gases are delivered to the combustionchamber in the relative proportions in which they unite to form the acid-that is, in the proportion of one atom of chlorin to one of hydrogen. This results from the fact that the decomposition of the NaCl yields one atom of sodium and one of chlorin, while the H 0 is broken up into two atoms of hydro- ICC gases pass to the single leg, it may be of other suitable forms, consisting in general of a confining-chamber into which the gases are led and commingled.

I do not wish to be understood as making a claim for the process of manufacturing hy-' drochloric acid which consists in leading a lighted stream of hydrogen into a vessel containing an atmosphere of chlorin, or vice versa, as such a process has been practiced by others before my present invention.

Having now described my invention, what I consider as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein-described process of manufacturing hydrochloric acid, which consists in producing hydrogen and chlorin, conducting the two gases in separate streams to a common point, causing the streams to impinge directly upon each other at such point,

urning the two gases at the point of impingement, one supporting the combustion of the other without the presence of any other gas, and conducting off and recovering the hydrochloric acid resulting from such combustion, as set forth.

2. The herein-described process of manufacturing hydrochloric acid, which consists in continuouslyproducing regulated amountsof hydrogen and chlorin, in the relative proportions in which they combine to form said two gases in separate streams to a common point, causing the streams to impinge directly upon each other at such point, burning the two gases at the point of impingement, one supporting the combustion of the other without the presence of any other gas, and conducting off and recovering the hydrochloric acid resulting from such combustion, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAIAH L. ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

ANTHONY GREF, WILLIAM A. PoLLooK. 

